The High Museum Special Exhibitions

Last Saturday, I attended an introductory meeting for people interested in volunteering at the High Museum.  This was my first visit to Atlanta’s fine art museum.  After the meeting I was able to look through the museum and through the special exhibitions which include;

The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army

Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Masterpiece

The Treasure of Ulysses Davis

The First Emperor exhibit was very crowded, but it was during the weekend.  The exhibit was design well, compensating for the high traffic.  I wasn’t able to read all of the educational posters but may go back again before it ends, which is on April 19th. I was most impressed with the terracotta soldiers of course, along with the miniature horse drawn carriages-these were to help the emperor travel in the next world.  The terracotta figures were amazing, over six foot tall, in immaculate condition ( especially considering when they were created), and had incredible detail. I could talk about these pieces and the history of them for hours.

The Louvre and the Masterpiece was also impressive.  I usually gravitate toward the paintings, but in this case, I stayed in the room with all of the Antonio di Puccio Pisanello drawings for a while.  Pisanello was  an Italian Renaissance artist during the same time as  Leonardo da Vinci, but he wasn’t nearly as recognized. The drawings were thought to have been created by da Vinci, but in light of new research, it was discovered that the drawings were Pisanello’s.  I find all of this fascinating.

The Treasure of Ulysses Davis exhibit was more removed from the emporers traffic, which let me take my time to appriciate the collection of his life’s work.  Ulysses Davis was a comtempory artist from Georgia.  Davis’ was a self-taught folk-like style, three dimensional artist, primarily working with wood.  He was a creative and spiritual man who was very proud of his country.  The piece he is most famous for are of the American presidents.  The entire piece was at the museum which included President Washington-President Bush (Sr).

If you live or will be in the Atlanta area anytime soon, I would recommend visiting these exhibitions. The special exhibitions are only temporarily here, the Terracotta Army ends in a couple of weeks (April 19th) , the Louvre artwork it there until September 5th,  and Ulysses Davis work will be at the museum until April 5th.

Book Review, “Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain”

The book “Drawing on the Right Side of Your Brain,” by Betty Edwards.  This book includes information on the following:

• Recent developments in brain research that relate to drawing
• New insights on the use of drawing techniques in the corporate world and in education
• Instruction on self-expression through drawing
• Ways to step beyond black-and-white drawing into color
• Detailed advice on applying the five basic skills of drawing to solve problems

While reading this book, I had come to find out that I had already been practicing the five basic skills.  The drawing skills I had learned by myself over the years and some were a part of my formal education.  This book did explain my tendencies better than I could, analyzing my handedness (left handed) and dominant R Mode (right brained).  For example, I have a hard time keeping track of time, especially when I am creating something.  This is due to using the right side of my brain.  The left side of your brain is where we use analytical procedures, words, and numbers, like keeping track of time.  Everyone uses both sides, but the book explains how much more fulfilling it would be if we used them both more frequently.

If you are interesting in purchasing this book, I would recommend going to this website to get more information about it and to look at the exercises. Here is someone else’s interaction with the book.

I’m Teaching a Portrait Painting Class

I found out today that a position I applied for had been accepted. I’m going to be teaching portrait painting in an after school program. I can’t wait to get back to teaching, and painting is my favorite medium. The class begins in April and  is posted on the school’s website.

Interesting Artist

I recently came across this artist and I want to share his unique artwork with others. His name is Christian Faur, and you can visit his website here.   This is an example of his work:

True Color Series Girl 1, 2008 Hand cast encaustic crayons 14 x 14 inches

True Color Series Girl 1(detail 1), 2008 Hand cast encaustic crayons 14 x 14 inches

True Color Series Girl 1(detail 3), 2008 Hand cast encaustic crayons 14 x 14 inches

What an interesting and wonderful way of using crayons.  Christian’s paintings, fabric work and encaustics are also very impressive. His pieces are both aesthetically pleasing and intellectually stimulating. I would highly recommend looking through his website.

10 Things I Learned From Job Fairs

I have found that one of the best ways to begin making contact with schools is to attend any and all of the teaching job fairs that your state offers. So far, I have been to four, down here in Georgia. I am writing this post on behalf of anyone who has not gone to a job fair before and is curious what to expect. It would have liked some advice, and an explanation on what to anticipate.

Before you leave your house:

1. Register. Prior to attending, the job fair may require registering and/or applying to the county/school online.  Some may also give you the opportunity to set up a quick interview on that same day

2. Do some research. It’s also wise to do some research on the schools/counties being represented in case you’re fortunate enough to get into a conversation or interview.

3. Arrive early. Try to arrive at least a half-hour early to the event, I would leave two hours early if you live in the Atlanta area.

4. Print out resumes. If you have applied to the schools before the job fair, it is not necessary to make copies of your certification, letters of recommendation, or transcripts.  These should already be in your online file, but bring the originals in your portfolio.

5. Dress your best, a suit for both genders and ties for guys.  I prefer the dress pants/suite instead of the skirt/suite.  It is appropriate for women to wear the skirt/suite, but the length of the skirt could be an issue, and that is why I avoid it.

At the job fair:

6. Initiate conversations. Standing in lines or waiting in rooms can be painfully boring. I recommend starting up conversations with the person in front or behind you. It makes the time go by faster and makes you less nervous/anxious.

7. Take notes. In order to keep track of what schools you talked to (the person you talked to) and who is hiring in your field, write down the information before going to the next table.

8. Ask about substituting. The school maybe looking for substitutes, if they are not hiring in your field but working at the school can get your foot in the door.

9. Have questions ready. If you do have an interview set up at the job fair, remember to have a couple of questions to ask them at the end of the interview.

10. Collect pamphlets. Almost all of the tables will have a folder filled with information on the school, salary scales, benefits, and information about the schools surrounding community. These pamphlets will come in handy when you are considering what school is right for you.

I look forward to hearing any comments or more suggestions/advice.

The Pro’s to Teaching Art in an Elementary and Jr/Sr High School Levels

While student teaching, I took mental notes considering the pro’s of teaching art at different age levels.  My notes were designed to help me decide which level I would prefer to work with and figured that someone else could also benefit from them. I’ve broken the levels into two groups, the Elementary and Jr/Sr High.

At the Elementary Level:

• Students think anything you’ve made is beautiful

• Students get easily excited, making learning fun

• Students are eager to please

• They love to keep busy with tasks

• They don’t prefer substitutes over the teachers

• They thrive in structure and systems, as long as they get some free time

• Students want to be known and will tell you everything about themselves

• They’re not afraid to call themselves artists and what they make is art

• And last but not least, they are really cute at this age

At the Jr/Sr High Level:

• Students need you to prove to them by seeing your artwork or watching a demonstration

• I enjoyed creating the demonstration pieces and visual aid (you get to create and teach)

• Students enjoy not having to take a test

• Students artistic skills really begin to manifest
• Students want to make the creative decisions for themselves
• Students can begin building a portfolio for college
• They can adjust easily to a substitute
• Students, for the most part, choose to be in art class (it’s not always required past ninth grade)
• You can have more in depth conversations about aesthetics

After looking at all of the pro’s, I’m still not sure what grade level I would prefer. I’m glad that my certification is K-12, and I think I’ll be happy working at any of the levels.

Is anyone willing to share what their prefered level is and why? I’d love to hear!

A New Addition

I just added my friend Lindsay to my blog roll. You should check it out, she’s cute and crafty. 

Updated About Me Page

I just finished updating my ‘About’ page for those of you who are interested in who I am, and I added a picture.  If you would like any further information about myself, just ask.

*I will be changing my artwork page soon too*

New Page

I just deticated a new page to my blog which contains my resume. I welcome anyone to view and download it, (especially Administrators   ).

North Carolina Art Museum Visit

Earl and I visited the Art Museum in Raleigh, NC earlier this week.  The museum was smaller than I anticipated, but it was worth the trip when considering the free admission. Earl took a bunch of pictures that can be viewed on his website. There was European, Classical, American, Egyptian, African, Oceanic, Judaic, Ancient American, and Modern Art Galleries. I was most impressed with the piece by the Dutch painter Pieter Aertsen (1508-1575) that the museum had in their possession.

Oil on panel, 115.5 x 169.0 cm; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC, USA

I studied this piece in an art history class at Marywood University. This painting from 1551 is called  ” A Meat Stall with the Holy Family Giving Alms,” one of the first paintings that intentionally combined the religious and secular symbolism. These symbols were being easily recognizable to the viewers during this time period.

In the background Aertsen painted a religious scene, Joseph with a donkey carrying Mary and the Christ child. The holy family is on their way to church when they stop to give beggar alms. The people eating in the back right corner of the painting are displaying the sin gluttony. The person picking up oyster shells is warning us of another sin, lust. Oysters and shells were thought to be an aphrodisiac.

The hanging entrails and meat products were typical within the culture as well as symbolizing that this life is temporary and we need to focus on spiritual matters. The pretzels (which were a substitute for bread during lent), fish and wine are “spiritual food.”

Perhaps all of the symbols mentioned would not be recognizable as such today.  However,  even if that were the case, meaning is not only derived from the Artist’s intention.  Meaning also manifests in the artwork’s interpretation.  Any ideas on some new interpretations for antiquated symbols?

I am thankful for the opportunity to have seen this piece in person.  I would highly recommend anyone who is in or is visiting the Raleigh, NC area to visit this museum and especially this piece.  I am also interested in anyones opinons of the painting and its symbols.